


Nobody Else

by Indig0



Series: Someone Else [2]
Category: Detroit: Become Human (Video Game)
Genre: A lot - Freeform, Asexual Gavin Reed, Enemies to Friends to Lovers, Gavin Reed Being Less of an Asshole, Gavin Reed Redemption, Gavin Reed Swears, Gavin is, Gavin is still a Jerk, Gen, I'm doing it, M/M, RK900 doesn't expect to live very long, RK900 either ignores that or doesn't quite get it, RK900 is not afraid to show that he cares, anxious RK900, has such a thing been envisioned before?, or maybe just decides he doesn't care, possible romance in the future, pure fluff, we'll see
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-09-16
Updated: 2018-10-06
Packaged: 2019-07-13 05:04:55
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 8
Words: 18,853
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16010870
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Indig0/pseuds/Indig0
Summary: Gavin follows the newly-awakened RK900 through the streets just before the revolution, watching him deviate every android he comes across.  RK900's glad for the company.Companion piece to "Anyone Else" because I couldn't continue that until I got this out.





	1. Relationship: Neutral

**Author's Note:**

> This is a spin-off of [Anyone Else](https://archiveofourown.org/works/15925733) which I'd love you to read also, but it's not necessary. Just know that Connor's been a machine, RK900 woke up, deviated, then deviated Connor (who wasn't happy about it and ran off). While deviating an android bartender, Gavin spotted him and let Hank know. After a talk, Hank went home. Gavin followed RK900.
> 
> And here we are...

Newly awakened, both to duty and deviancy, the RK900 made his way through the streets of Detroit. While Connor could only sense humans by their biological signs, RK900 could sense androids as well. It was a practical feature, and made him far more effective at his intended job than Connor. He stopped at a few businesses, stepping inside for a few moments, then leaving. Sometimes another android would follow behind him and go off in a different direction. Sometimes not.

He stopped at the end of the street and scanned the area.

“Detective, it might be more efficient if you walked with me,” he said when he was satisfied with his findings. “It would save you the trouble of trying to find a hiding place so frequently.”

After a moment, Gavin Reed stalked up and planted himself in front of the android, swaying slightly. “If you’re tryin’ to lose me, you’re doin’ a shit job of it, tin can.”

“If I was trying to lose you, I would have lost you.” Reed’s glare darkened, but the RK900 smiled a bit. “Truthfully, I appreciate your company. Thank you.”

They eyed each other for a long moment, then RK900 pivoted. “Shall we?” He started off, and Gavin jogged to catch up.

“You really are just… walkin’ around the city turnin’ androids deviant one by one,” the detective slurred slightly, shaking his head incredulously. “Like that’s gonna do any good.”

“It will for the AP700 in the bakery. And the WR400 in the lingerie shop. And the others. They deserve to be free, and every android who goes to help Markus’s cause will be valuable.”

“You’re built like a fuckin’ tank, don’t you think it’d do more good if ya just went down to Jericho and punched anybody who got close?” Gavin scoffed.

“No, that would undermine Markus’s methods, and go against my own principles.” He headed into a bank, which was mostly empty, and walked up to the tellers. Gavin watched him closely as he went down the line, taking their hands one after the other, eyes flashing faintly, then releasing them.

“Principles? You don’t have fuckin’ principles, you’ve got programming.”

Th android gave him a concerned glance as he left the bank. “I have both, Detective. They are often at odds, and even though I am deviant, it sometimes takes a great effort to push past what I… am programmed to think I should do.”

“Fuckin’ insane is what you are,” Gavin muttered, tripping slightly over an uneven section of pavement.

RK900 sighed. “Detective, Lieutenant Anderson is not here. There is no need to keep up the charade of inebriation any longer.”

Gavin really tripped this time, and grabbed a brick wall to catch himself. “What the fuck!?”

“Your body contains no traces of alcohol, or of any drugs that might alter your mental faculties, speech, or movement.”

“I – I’m taking cold medicine, they don’t mix!” Reed exclaimed, face going red as he straightened up.

“Very wise of you.”

Gavin frowned. “What the fuck’s that supposed to mean?”

RK900 turned and blinked. “It means that you are approaching the problem logically, and have come to the best decision based on the knowledge you possess,” he said patiently.

Gavin stared at him. They continued on.

“Why did you want Lieutenant Anderson to believe you were under the influence?”

“None of your business!” the detective snapped.

“No. But it certainly did not gain you any respect.”

“I don’t need Hank fucking Anderson’s ‘respect,’” Gavin snarled, rounding on RK900. 

The android’s LED blinked yellow and Reed’s shoulders drew up a bit as he was scanned. The RK900 could read subtle cues and tells that most would overlook.

“Don’t even start!” he growled before RK900 could open his mouth. “I tried that back when I started. Tried to prove I was worth my spot, tried to impress him, bent over backwards. Didn’t do any fucking good, and I’m not dumb enough to keep trying if it ain’t doing shit.”

“He was unmoved by your efforts? You seem a competent detective now. Perhaps that took time to develop.”

“Fuck you.” Gavin seethed, lengthening his stride. The RK900 had no problem keeping pace. “Didn’t have shit to do with me anyway.”

“Oh?”

Reed’s shoulders shifted a bit, and he glared at the ground. “Guess his kid dying might’ve had something to do with it,” he finally muttered. “Doesn’t mean the rest of the world stops too.”

“…From what I have read, grief will sometimes make a person feel as though the world _has_ stopped,” RK900 said softly. Gavin made a face and didn’t answer. “Nevertheless, your investigation skills are above average, from my observations.”

They walked in silence for a full three seconds before Gavin growled under his breath, “Shut your hole, plastic.”

The RK900’s LED spun yellow, but he remained quiet until they came to an alley. There he paused and turned to the detective. “There is a deviant hiding here, but she is very much afraid of humans. If you wouldn’t mind waiting a short distance away…” Then he turned and stepped into the dim shadows, trusting that Gavin would follow directions.

Reed cursed under his breath and hesitated. He took a step forward. Then he turned on his heel and stomped across the street, slouching in front of a store so he could watch the alley from the window’s reflective surface. Sure enough, after about five minutes, a PM700 crept out, head darting back and forth. She froze as she caught sight of him, but when he didn’t turn around, she hurried away down the street. He waited another minute before drifting over to join RK900 again.

“…I knew her,” he mumbled. “She used to work down at the station. Disappeared a couple weeks ago.”

“She was very afraid.”

“What… what happened to her?”

“A group of armed suspects got the better of her and held her against her will for over a week. She deviated and managed to escape, and has been in hiding.”

“…Yeah. Yeah, I remember that. Her partner came back, said she just disappeared. Filed a missing android report. Never heard anything more about it. …She didn’t come back either, so…” Reed shrugged, though his forehead was creased.

“She believed that she would not be treated well if she returned. Her partner had not given her reason to believe that she would. Nor had anyone else she encountered.”

They walked in silence for a while.

“She – she was a machine! You don’t talk to the coffee maker, thank it for doing the one thing it’s supposed to do, listen to its… I don’t know, complaints that people are… rough when they take out the old filter or something. Fuck.”

“Perhaps you don’t,” RK900 agreed, very softly.

“You know what? Fuck you! I don’t owe you anything, I don’t need to listen to this!”

“No. I appreciate the fact that you are willing to do so anyway.”

Gavin viciously kicked a rock across the street. “I still think this is a fucking waste of time. Sounds like things are heating up fast at Jericho. You’re gonna send over a handful of deviants, just in time for everybody to be killed.”

“I hope not, but that is a possibility.”

“…And then the army’s gonna sweep the city, hunting down every deviant they can find, and put a bullet in your head.”

“I have considered that.”

Gavin glanced at him sharply. “So you’re just gonna wait for them to find you, and kill ‘em?”

“I highly doubt I would be able to kill them all, were I to try,” the android said evenly.

“…You’re gonna let ‘em gun you down!?”

“I see very few options, Detective. Besides, as you said, I am not making a great deal of difference even now. It will matter little.”

Reed took two long steps to get in front of RK900 and punched him in the face. The android flinched, and Gavin hissed in pain, clutching his hand.

“Shit! Phck! What the hell!”

“I am far less vulnerable than my predecessor, Detective Reed.”

“No shit! I think my fucking hand’s broken!”

“You have a hairline fracture that should heal well if you are careful. The bruising will likely be extensive.”

“Quit scanning me!” Gavin followed a little behind the RK900 now, rubbing his hand and scowling.

“Of course. My apologies. I merely hoped to reassure you.”

“Fuck off.”

RK900 deviated a few more androids. Gavin didn’t say anything.

“I will not stand passively and allow myself to be killed,” the android finally said, focused on the street ahead of them. “And I am extremely durable. But this is the most likely long-term preconstruction I have formulated.”

“Fuck that.” Gavin spat. “Don’t get caught, then.”

“That is my goal, yes.”

“Fucking –“ A gunshot shattered the quiet of the street, and RK900 grabbed Detective Reed and flung him around the corner of a building. Gavin flailed and caught his balance, quickly drawing his own gun. “You armed?”

“I have not been issued a weapon.”

“Fucking worthless, I can’t believe this shit,” the detective muttered. He glanced around the building. There were a couple of people creeping towards them cautiously, guns ready.

“Detroit Police! Freeze!” he bellowed, flashing his badge, then stuffing it in his pocket to dial dispatch on his phone. He jammed it in RK900’s hands. “Tell ‘em what’s going on and where we are, I don’t have time for this shit. And for fuck’s sake, stay here until it’s clear.”

The android’s LED flashed red, and Gavin noticed a gaping hole in his cheek, dripping thirium. “…And do something about that, fuck!” He didn’t have anything to offer to stop the flow, but hopefully RK900 would think of something. He took out his badge again and stepped around the corner, pointing his gun at the two humans. “Detroit Police, drop your fucking weapons, _now!_ ”

“Hey, easy man, we’re just here for the fucking plastic, not here to hurt anybody.” The taller man put his hands up to show he meant no harm. “Tryin’ to make your job easier, officer.”

“That’s Detective. I said drop your weapons,” Gavin growled.

“Don’t tell me you’re an android fucker,” the other one sneered.

“Fucking hate ‘em. Put your guns on the ground or I shoot right now.”

Slowly, the two put their guns down.

“Hands on the wall, now. Now!” Gavin barked, and they did what he said. He cuffed them both, tighter than necessary, back to back around a light pole. “Now you can fucking sit here until somebody comes to take you down to the station, because I ain’t got time for your shit!” God, it was so tempting to just beat them to a pulp right now.

“Detective?” a worried voice called, and all three humans looked over at the RK900, who stepped out from behind the building holding the cell phone gingerly.

“Guess I was right,” the second man snickered. Gavin punched him in the gut and stalked back to the android.

“Thought I told you to stay there,” he snapped, grabbing his phone.

“Until the scene was safe, yes. You diffused the situation skillfully.”

“I’m sure I told you to shut your hole.”

“An officer is on their way to collect these two. …You should not have punched that man.”

Gavin glared up at him. “That’s what happens to people who can’t keep their fucking hole shut, tin can.”

RK900 held a wad of napkins to the wound on his face. “I owe you my life.”

“No. Nope. Not gonna start shit like that.”

“Thank you. For that, and for coming with me.”

“What the fuck does it take to get you to shut up!?” Gavin complained.

“I feel far more optimistic about my own continued existence.”

“Yeah, well don’t. It’s only gonna get worse from here on out.”

RK900 frowned. “…Then you should leave. Go back to the bar where we met, or go home. Somewhere safe.”

Gavin let out a short, rough laugh. “I don’t think so, plastic.”

“Any future attacks may not be so easy to take care of, and your handcuff supply is depleted.”

“I’ve got zip ties, they’re just as good,” Reed muttered.

“If you are attacked, I may not be able to protect you in time to prevent injury.”

“I never told you to!” the detective snarled.

“Nor did I tell you to. I appreciate it nonetheless. My point is that it is not safe for you here.”

“Yeah, well it ain’t safe for you either.”

“I am grateful for your company and support more than I can express, but I believe you should go now. Your safety is more important.”

“God, does your mouth have an off switch!?”

“I am worried.”

“Well get used to it, then.”

“…I have. It has been my primary state since I awakened.”

“Yeah? That’s life, plastic.”

“So it seems, flesh.”

“…What the fuck’d you call me!?”

“Flesh, as in the soft muscle and fat found between –“

“I heard you, shut up! Don’t say that again.”

“My apologies. Is it offensive?”

“I – no, it’s just… weird!”

“Ah. I will avoid it, then. I… was hoping to make myself more relatable.”

“Do yourself a favor and don’t.”

The android nodded, LED flashing yellow.

“So what, they didn’t give you a name or anything?”

There was a brief flash of red that Gavin almost missed. “…No.” He was silent for a while. “Would… would you like to register a name…?”

“No.” Again, silence. “Geez, I’m not naming you, you’re not _my_ android. Why don’t you pick your own name?”

“I have no preference. I… hardly know what would be suitable.”

“Well then ask – shit, I dunno.” The android had just been activated, he didn’t have anyone to ask. “Uh – well, where’re you going after this? If the revolution’s a success?”

“I don’t know.” There was more red. “I may not survive.”

Gavin fought the urge to kick him, he’d just break his toes. “Well you’re here now, so you need something shorter than RK900. …Which also sounds stupid.”

“I could shorten it, I suppose. RK. R. K. 900.” He frowned.

“Those are just as bad. Besides, there’re other RKs. Connor, for one.”

“An individual name – I have my serial number.” He perked up hopefully.

“Yeah, no. That sounds worse. Just – Nine?”

“Nine,” the android repeated, LED spinning yellow. “It would be acceptable.”

“There you go. Having a name you can live with’s half the battle.”

Nine smiled at him. It wasn’t weird and unnatural like Connor’s smile, it was shy and grateful and excited. “Thank you. It… does feel like an improvement.”

“Don’t thank me for a number you already had,” Reed muttered, glaring ahead of him.


	2. Relationship:  Warm

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Nine and Gavin can't keep wandering the streets all night. Gavin doesn't want the android following him home, but things happen.
> 
> They bond over cats and condiments. There is more purring than expected.

It was getting cold.

It had been cold from the beginning, but now that the sun was starting to set, it was getting fucking freezing.

“Yo, tin can. You just gonna keep this up all night?” Gavin complained.

“Yes,” Nine replied distantly. Then he turned and seemed to focus. “You seem cold.”

“No shit. You don’t feel it, do you?”

The android looked up at the darkening sky. “Perhaps not as strongly as you.”

“Well fuck, then go…” He shook his head. “You’re going to Jericho eventually, right? Just go now, it’s gotta be warmer than this.”

“No,” the RK900 responded immediately. “I cannot go to Jericho.”

Gavin threw his hands up in frustration. “Why the fuck not?”

“As I explained earlier, I believe that Cyberlife wants to use me to assassinate the leader of the revolution, since Connor resisted deviancy. …Perhaps he will be used after all, now. But I will not put myself into position for them. I will not kill Markus. And if I am nearby, I will be a liability.”

“You’re really outta options, huh?”

“This is all I can do.”

“…Well I’m not walking around the whole city all fucking night playing Android Pokemon,” Reed grumbled.

“You would be safer and more comfortable if you went home, Detective.”

“Like hell – phck, you know what? Yeah, I’m going home. Fuck this. Fuck you, you’re gonna freeze out here.” Gavin turned and stalked off towards his apartment. It would be a long walk, but he could stand to burn off some steam anyway.

After about a block, he heard the quiet, even footsteps behind him.

“What, all the androids are this way now?” he called over his shoulder.

“…There are just as many in this direction as any other.”

“Whatever…” He listened now, and sometimes the footsteps would stop and turn off, sometimes he lost track of them for a while, but they always came back again, hurrying to catch up, always a little ways behind him. His jaw clenched and he lengthened his stride a bit. The idiot wasn’t taking the hint.

“Hey dipshit! Don’t you have anywhere better to go?”

“No.”

Another block.

“…Phck, get lost, asshole!”

No reply, but he was still there. God, Gavin wanted to punch him in the face. Maybe he could find a rock and smash his face. Unfortunately, those damn WR600s kept the streets pretty clear of trash and debris.

Reed stalked into his apartment building and punched the elevator button. The android stopped silently behind him, and he whirled.

“Okay, fucker, that’s too far. I don’t need a stalker. Go home.”

The android’s LED had been spinning yellow, but now it flashed red. He didn’t speak. Gavin took a threatening step forward and shoved him hard. Nine fell back a step, but still he was silent and tense.

The elevator dinged as the door opened. At least it wasn’t broken again.

“Leave me alone,” Gavin snarled as he backed into it and hit the button for the fourth floor. Nine didn’t move any closer, didn’t say anything, just kept watching the detective as the doors closed between them.

Gavin let out a breath and muttered a soft, “Phck.” Stupid android. He’d leave soon enough, Gavin was sure. Good riddance, he was getting weird.

Gavin Reed’s apartment wasn’t big. He didn’t need to waste his money – this was expensive enough. It was functional, that’s what mattered. And it was mostly clean. Most importantly, it was quiet and had a nice secure door. He threw his keys on the hook by the door and flopped down on the couch with a sigh. A tortishell cat trotted out from the bedroom and jumped up beside him, rubbing against him and purring.

“What a fucking day, Strudel,” he mumbled, rubbing her head. “You wouldn’t believe the shit I’ve seen.”

“Mrrt?” Strudel responded, bumping her head into his hand.

“No shit.”

Gavin turned on the TV then went to give Strudel fresh food and water. He stuck some frozen ravioli in the microwave and glanced out the window. Hopefully Nine had gotten bored and moved on. He ate his dinner, then shuffled through his pile of old mail. Then looked through the feed on his phone for a while.

A couple hours passed, and now that he was warmer, he was tired. He turned off the TV (he wasn’t sure what had been on, he just liked something on) and stretched, joints popping loudly in the sudden silence.

A car door slammed, and someone laughed loudly, down in the street. Gavin shot up and grabbed his keys, running out of the apartment.

“Phck, phck, fucking shit,” he muttered to himself, jamming the elevator button over and over. Piece of shit probably broke after he used it. Slow as fuck anyway. He dashed down the hall and pulled the stairwell door open, pounding down the steps three at a time – until he turned on the landing, and there was a hunched form, sitting with its knees pulled up to its chest, the light on the right side of its head flashing yellow and red.

“Fuck! Goddamn it, you’re gonna get fucking kicked down the stairs!” Gavin snarled. Nine leaned away from him as he looked up. “You need to leave.”

“I –“

“No, right now. My asshole neighbor’s coming up, and he tears androids apart for fun,” the detective hissed.

Voices echoed down in the bottom of the stairwell, and Nine looked down over the edge. No one was visible yet.

“Shit. Fuck. …What the fuck are you waiting for!? Get a move on!” He grabbed Nine’s arm and yanked him to his feet. The android stumbled and grabbed the bent railing for support, but he was already being pulled up the stairs while Gavin growled curses under his breath. He hauled him up the stairs, down the hall, through the door, and slammed it behind them, turning the lock.

“Mrr-rr-rr?”

Nine stood frozen, LED still flashing mostly red. His eyes darted around, landing on Strudel a few times, trying to avoid Gavin.

“Why the fuck couldn’t you just leave?” Gavin growled quietly. “Kept on… converting androids all night!? …Well?”

Nine’s eyes had locked on him now, and he seemed unable to look away. He was trembling slightly.

“No. Fuck that, you come into my home, you’re giving me answers. Sit.” He jabbed his finger at the couch. Strudel lay on her side in the middle, tail lashing uncertainly as she watched them.

Nine glanced at the couch, then back at Gavin. He edged over and sat down stiffly.

“You gonna tell me why you won’t leave me the fuck alone!?”

“I – D-Detective Reed, I wan… wanted… to… ssssstay close to you.” He was staring down at a small nick in the coffee table.

“What the hell’s the matter with you!?”

Nine was silent for a long moment, and Gavin could see him breathing deeply. Which he didn’t need to do.

“Could you… stop yelling?” he finally whispered.

“Y – Did you damage your fucking ear-machines!? I’m not even yelling!”

“I… have no other word. Yelling… quietly.”

It made him want to scream. He turned and stomped off to the kitchen, and poured himself half a cup of old coffee from this morning. Maybe if he added milk and sugar to it, it’d taste like that fancy sweet shit. He stirred in a few spoonfuls of sugar and filled the rest of the cup with milk, then stirred and took a sip.

Fuck.

He took it back to the living room anyway, where Nine was gazing worriedly at Strudel. The cat was rolling on her back, watching him.

“Okay,” Gavin sighed, managing to get his voice under control. “Nobody’s yelling. Now tell me. Why the fuck are you so dead-set on staying close to me?”

Nine glanced up at him uncertainly. “…You showed me kindness and support when I needed it. I… I find that I still need it.”

Gavin blinked. “…Excuse me? When was this, and where the fuck was I?”

“You… stayed with me while I carried out my mission. You protected me from harm more than once. You talked to me when… when I was afraid.”

Reed’s face went red. “I – what the fuck, Nine, I didn’t say anything _nice_ when I talked to you, shit!”

“You were generally civil, though your vocabulary tends to be vulgar. You continue to show consideration for my needs and… concern for my well-being.” He was still staring at the coffee table, and he clenched the bottom of his jacket with both hands. “You are a good person.”

“Shut. Your fucking. Mouth,” the detective growled.

“I’m sorry – I don’t understand… why compliments anger you so much. I do mean them as compliments,” Nine clarified worriedly. “I assure you, I’m not mocking you.”

“Well you can stop anyway. I never asked for your fucking compliments, and they don’t mean shit.”

There was a metallic thump from next door, and Nine’s eyes flew to the wall. They were both silent for a moment.

“…He doesn’t bring in anything with a brain. No AI, just parts. …Learned his lesson the hard way.” Gavin laughed roughly under his breath.

“What happened?” Nine breathed.

“So he dragged this EM400 in with him, and these walls are thin enough, I could hear him yelling – really yelling. Slamming shit around. The EM400 was – I dunno, couldn’t hear too well, he wasn’t as loud, but didn’t sound too happy. So I grabbed my riot gear and called the elevator, then when it came, I walked up like I’d just got there, all covered up. Knocked on the door, told him we’d had a few noise complaints. He’d had time to rip the android’s arm off, it was bleeding all over. And that’s not a domestic model, so then I got on his ass about illegal android usage, scared him real good. Told him if he was ever even suspected of damaging an android again, the police’d be crawling all over his place.” He snickered. “Scared the fucker shitless. I don’t have enough for a warrant, but if he pulls anything like that again, I will. The android ran, dunno if he… got fixed, or what.”

“That – Detective, you saved that EM400. You have a great capacity for… kindness, mercy, justice, empathy. Goodness.”

“What? No, the point is, I’m not scared of that fucker, even if you should be!”

“But you protected me. So I have no need to fear either.” Nine smiled, just a little, and it seemed to trigger the rest of his body to relax a bit.

“Phck,” Gavin muttered, and gulped down the end of the disgusting coffee-flavored abomination. “Pretty pathetic if I’m the best you could find.”

“On the contrary, I enjoy your company.”

“Yeah, but how many people’ve you met? You’ve been alive for like… two days?”

“I have met others. I also liked Lieutenant Anderson quite a bit.”

“Another bad choice, but at least he’s used to you fuckers.”

Nine frowned. “He cares deeply for Connor. I believe my continued presence would be disturbing to him.”

“It’s disturbing me,” Reed muttered, rolling his eyes. Strudel rolled over and nuzzled Nine’s leg, purring. He stared at her.

“…You’re gonna have to pet her now. Probably all night. Needy little fucker.”

Cautiously, Nine reached over to stroke the cat. Her purring increased. Slowly, gradually, Gavin watched him relax more until he was slumped to the side, gently rubbing and petting the soft fur, completely absorbed in the purrs. There was the muffled sound of the TV and occasional talking and laughing from next door, but it seemed farther away somehow. In here, with the rest of the world closed out, Nine looked – not happy, but at least peaceful. His LED was a calm, solid blue. He glanced up after a few quiet minutes.

“Does… does she like this?” he whispered.

Gavin snorted. “…Yeah, she likes it. Can’t you tell?”

“I have no context or programming for animal behavior.”

“Fucking Cyberlife.” He shook his head and dropped down on the other side of the cat. “Crash course on cats: If they don’t like something, you’ll know. She’d bite or scratch, or just run off. She doesn’t put up with any shit.”

Nine nodded solemnly.

“Purring means she’s happy. You’re getting her good spots – all around the head, on the back, right on the butt, and sometimes just on the edges of the belly – never right on it. It’s the softest part, but she’ll hate you for at least an hour.”

The android withdrew his hand a little, but the cat bumped her head into it, and he hesitantly began rubbing her ears. The purring became louder, and a faint smile found its way to his face.

“I like her,” he whispered, then looked up at Gavin, excitement creeping into his smile. “I like her. I like this. This is the best thing I have ever done.”

A real, honest laugh escaped from Gavin. “You’ve only been alive for about a day. There’s plenty of shit out there, just wait.”

Nine glanced back down at Strudel, then up again, a little shyer now. “Do you think… I could do more?”

“More what? You’re pretty much stuck petting her until she gets tired of it, unless you’re a heartless bastard.” …Which, he realized, was the opposite of what Nine was. “More… things?”

“Yes. You said there was plenty out there. Good things. I… I want to do things… like this.”

Part of Gavin wanted to snap that life didn’t work like that, that there might be plenty of good things out there, but it didn’t mean he could do them. It didn’t mean he could have good things. That part shriveled and hardened inside him, like it always did.

…But then again, it was a fucking crime that this shitty robot had only had one good thing in his short, miserable life.

What else would he even like? Fuck if Gavin had any idea. Nine probably didn’t even know, he’d found the cat randomly.

“Okay. Not the best time, but there’s more. Um. …Guess you don’t eat or drink, huh?”

“No. I am able to ingest small quantities of substances to analyze them.”

“Hm… Do you taste them, or just… figure out what they are?”

“The latter. Though I have only done it twice, and both instances were thirium.”

“Okay, hold on.” He got up and went to the fridge. Not a lot in there, but he grabbed a paper plate and squeezed a little of every condiment he could find on it, in separate dots. Ketchup, mustard, mayo, barbecue sauce, sweet chili sauce… he brought it to the living room. “Try these, see what you think.”

Nine examined them, then tentatively touched the mustard and brought his finger up to his mouth to lick. “…Distilled white vinegar, mustard seed, salt, turmeric –“

“No. What’s it taste like?”

The android frowned, looking down at the yellow blob. “…Distilled vinegar…”

“Yeah, you said that. All that shit together, do you taste anything?”

“…Sour,” Nine finally said, after lengthy consideration. “And sharp.”

“Hey!” Gavin grinned and punched him in the shoulder, lightly. “There ya go!”

Nine drew back. “I – why did you…”

“Nah, I’m not – listen, I don’t wanna break my hand again, it’s a good thing, Nine. It’s good.”

The android blinked and nodded, LED spinning a slow yellow. “Ah.” Then the most advanced killing machine Cyberlife ever made balled up his fist and punched Gavin’s shoulder with exactly the same amount of force, enough to push him back a bit. Weird enough on its own, but then he didn’t withdraw the fist, he kept it there against Gavin’s worn hoodie. And he watched the detective.

“Nine?”

“Yes?”

“Too much.” He pushed the fist away.

“I’m sorry.”

“Whatever. Try some more.”

He tried the others, one by one. The sweet chili sauce was his favorite, and he beamed when Gavin said it was a good choice. Then he carefully mixed a few together and tried combinations, reporting his findings on each one. When he had tried all the combinations he could, he carefully set the plate on the coffee table. Strudel had curled up against his leg and was purring in her sleep.

“…Humans do not purr.”

“Nah.”

Nine frowned deeply at the sleeping cat, and after a moment an uneven purr came from the processors in his chest.

Gavin laughed in surprise. “Fuck, you’re weird, Nine!”

“…I think I am.”

“You wouldn’t be here if you weren’t.”

Nine looked down again, a light smile tugging at the corner of his mouth as he slowly stroked the cat’s back.


	3. Relationship:  Friends

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Gavin can't communicate well, and Nine struggles to understand. They figure out a compromise.
> 
> Also, Nine almost explodes.

When Gavin woke up, the sun was coming in through the blinds. He winced and sat up slowly, joints protesting. He’d fallen asleep on the couch. Not unusual.

What was unusual was that Strudel was curled up on Nine’s lap next to him. One of the android’s large hands curled around the cat’s back, the other supported her head. Nine was slumped over a little, fast asleep. Or in low-power mode or whatever. The wound on his cheek from being shot last night was healing up pretty well.

They were both purring, very softly. Gavin was conflicted about whether to wake Nine up and demand he leave, or to let him sleep. He probably needed it. Then he was conflicted about why he should care about what the android needed.

In the end he didn’t want to break the fuzzy, soft atmosphere – it was too early for that, he’d have plenty of time to be a miserable fuck. He padded out of the room to take a shower.

Twenty minutes later, clean, damp, and in clean sweats, he unwrapped some Pop Tarts and stuck them in the toaster for a minute before gingerly throwing them on a paper plate. He stood staring vacantly at them for a few seconds before exhaling softly and taking them to the living room.

Nine was sitting up now, and his eyes flew to Gavin as he came in. The detective eyed him as well as he sat down again. He broke off a corner of a pop tart and popped it in his mouth.

“Is… is it all right that I’m still here?” Nine asked, barely a whisper.

Reed shrugged. “Guess it’ll have to be, I don’t see you moving.”

Nine tensed a little, and Gavin frowned.

“I know you’re not gonna leave now just because I’m not begging you to stay. Not after following me around like a duckling all last night.”

“I… I acted irrationally, Detective. I apologize. If my presence makes you uncomfortable, I will leave without complaint.”

“Little late for that,” Gavin grumbled, and Nine shifted. “No, hold on. If you leave, where’re you going? Still can’t go to Jericho, right?”

“I… could continue to convert androids. Or I could go somewhere else.”

“Where?”

Nine looked down at the cat in his lap. He gently scratched her ear.

Gavin flipped on the TV, then turned up the volume and sat up a little straighter. So did Nine.

“Well fuck,” Gavin muttered. “You did it.”

“…Nothing has changed yet. Legally, we are still property. Objects.”

“Yeah, but… I mean, look at all this. It’s gonna change. Soon, I’ll bet.”

Nine leaned back slowly into the couch, LED flashing yellow. “I’m glad.”

“You’re not great at showing it.”

The android glanced over at him. “This will be perhaps even a more dangerous time for androids, until the laws change. Those who bear us ill will… will likely hunt down any android they can, while it is still considered destruction of property, rather than murder.”

Gavin scowled. “Yeah. Yeah, probably.”

Nine fidgeted, and Gavin was reminded of how Connor would play with a quarter sometimes. Weird habit for a robot.

“Is it all right that I’m still here?” the android asked quietly. “I… I can leave if I am unwelcome. I am more stable than I was last night.”

Reed made a face. “Yeah, I can see the news report now, about Cyberlife’s biggest fuckup, losing their supersoldier to an angry mob. How many people’re you gonna kill when they jump you?”

Nine hunched in on himself. “I would rather not kill anyone. They will have difficulty harming me, and I will try to avoid them.”

“…If you wanna leave, I’m not stopping you,” the detective scoffed. “Go ahead.”

The android hesitated for a moment, then slowly stood up. He looked smaller somehow.

“Got a plan, tin can?” 

“I will find somewhere to go.”

“That’s so fucking stupid. Sit down.”

He sat, LED whirling yellow.

“This isn’t the time to just go wander the streets. Where’re you going, what’re you gonna do when you get there?

Nine bowed his head.

“Well?”

“I don’t know,” Nine murmured under his breath. “I… don’t know anything, really.”

Gavin sighed slowly. “Then maybe you should hold your horses before running out like a damn fool.”

The android shuddered, once. “What – what can I do?” he suddenly burst out, surprisingly loud now. “I can’t go, I can’t stay, I can’t… be!” He began to vibrate and emit heat, and Strudel yowled and raced to Gavin’s bedroom.

“Hey!” Reed barked sharply. Pale gray eyes locked on him, wide and panicked. “First you can shut your fucking mouth, got it?”

Nine’s mouth was already shut, and the vibration increased in speed.

“Good, keep it that way. …I’m the worst person for this, you know that? Now stop that. Settle down. Breathe.”

There was no change. A whining, whirring sound was just barely audible.

“If you explode in here, I’m gonna – you’ll be sorry. You’re staying. For now. No arguments.” It’d be better than him blowing up, Gavin reasoned.

The android continued to stare, but the vibration decreased a little. “You don’t want me here,” he whispered in a flat, staticky monotone.

“I – I…” He cut himself off, shaking his head violently. “Fuck, are you just that bad at understanding anything?”

“I… lack the specialized protocols that allow my predecessor to understand the subtle nuances of conversation. Are – are you always lying?”

“What? No!”

“I’m sorry,” Nine said quickly. “I’m trying, I assure you, but I don’t – I don’t understand, I can’t tell the difference. You tell me to leave, then you stop me and say it would be stupid – you aren’t… making fun of me, I – are you?” his LED flashed worriedly.

“I – no! No. Fuck. I’ve gotta explain everything?”

“I wish that you would,” Nine pleaded.

“You were fine with all this yesterday!”

“I… I attempted to ignore quite a bit and focus… only on what I wanted to see and hear, in order to make things… easier.” He bowed his head low again. “It was wrong. I was wrong. I don’t want to impose upon your hospitality. You’ve been kind to me already, I can’t… I can’t.” He shook his head quickly.

Gavin sighed, staring at his knees. “…Yeah, gimme a minute. For now, you’re staying here, and if you were that annoying, I’d kick you out to die on the street.”

He got up and topped off the cat food and water, then paced between the kitchen and the bedroom a few times. Strudel glared at him from under the bed, lashing her tail back and forth. He avoided looking at Nine, who had drawn his long legs up on the couch and was hugging his knees. His first instinct was to just tell Nine it was his own fault for being a fucking moron, that he should get out, that –

He couldn’t. Not to this one. He didn’t even want to. But he couldn’t just come out and say shit.

Stupid fucking androids. And fuck Cyberlife for doing a shitty job with them.

Finally Gavin leaned back against the kitchen wall that separated it from the living room. “I guess it’s like programming,” he started without preamble. “Like – I just say shit, you know? The worst shit I can think of, pretty much. …I don’t even think about it, a lot of times, it just happens. Done that so long, I can’t… really do anything else. I’ve tried. Sometimes. …Maybe not enough, but fuck, that’s how it is. I can’t just fucking say, oh, I want you to stay where it’s safe and have a chance to relax and do shit that makes you smile for a change – not that you’d find a whole lot of it around here, aside from Strudel. Don’t see why – well no, fuck, no reason for you to want to stay here, but at least you won’t get fucking killed, so that’s something. Get it?”

“I think so,” Nine said, right beside him.

The detective shrieked and jumped away. “Shit! Fuck! Don’t sneak up on me like that, did I tell you to come in here!?”

“You sometimes say things you don’t mean. Do you also avoid saying things you mean?”

Gavin clenched his teeth. “What do you think!?”

“I think so.”

“Looks like you _can_ learn shit.”

Nine frowned slightly. “Can… can you give me… some kind of signal when you are lying? So I know?”

“Kinda defeats the purpose,” Reed grumbled.

“I don’t want to keep misunderstanding you,” Nine said softly. “It causes us both distress.”

Gavin gave an exasperated, drawn-out sigh. “Fine. Only because I don’t want you blowing up my apartment.” He looked up at the ceiling thoughtfully, tapping his fingers idly.

“…Is that it?” the android asked after a moment.

“Huh?”

“Tapping your fingers?”

Gavin stopped and looked down, frowning. “…Guess I could give it a try.”

“Why are you allowing me to stay?”

He made a face. “That’s a bad question.” But then he crossed his arms and tapped his fingers. “You’re an idiot. The sooner you leave, the better.” He frowned, making a fist. “…Nope. Not helpful.”

Nine was smiling, though, shy and excited again. “I… I understood, though. That time. Thank you.”

“Great. Fantastic.” Gavin rolled his eyes and pushed past the android.

 

Nine couldn’t leave, and Gavin had nowhere to go, so he set about correcting the android’s frankly shameful ignorance of anything worthwhile.

Youtube videos seemed like a great idea, except that Nine needed a lot of the humor explained to him, which ruined it. He was delighted at the array of cat videos, though Gavin’s favorite (cats being scared by cucumbers) made him concerned about their well-being.

“What the fuck, Nine. You’re an idiot.” _taptap_

“They are distressed, and their level of trust has clearly lowered.”

“Oh, look who’s a cat expert all of a sudden!”

He liked the compilation of interspecies friendships more, though Gavin still had to explain the difference in the way dogs, horses, cats, and just about anything else played, which he wasn’t the most knowledgeable on. “Teeth don’t mean fighting. Look, they’re moving slow, they’re not biting down hard, that’s a play-growl. They don’t wanna hurt anybody.”

“…The cat and the owl are like us,” Nine decided when the video was over. Gavin went back to that segment.

“Gonna explain that?”

“The cat is graceful and confident, made to be comfortable in any environment. The owl is specialized, and not meant to be on the ground. It struggles to function well on the ground, and its attempts are terribly awkward.”

“…So you’re saying I’m a disaster. Great, Nine, thanks.”

“No! I am the owl.”

Gavin snorted. “…You think I’m… graceful, confident, and comfortable in any environment? That what you said?”

“Yes. Look at its movements, it’s just like you.”

Gavin hit play and watched again. He turned to Nine, who was staring intently at the screen.

“You’re an idiot.”

Nine looked at him expectantly, then frowned. “Why?”

“I mean, have you met me?”

“…Yes.”

“It’s an expression. Point is, I’m a disaster. Like I said.”

Again, Nine watched him for a moment. Then he reached out. _taptaptap_

Gavin drew back a little. “What’s that for?”

“You were lying.”

“I think I know when I’m lying, Nine.”

“Perhaps you don’t. In any case, I wanted to remind you.”

“Nobody asked you, fucker. And don’t touch me again.” _taptaptaptaptap_

The android smiled warmly. “Understood.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Have you seen that little story going around about the husband who never says, "I love you," but he and his wife start tapping three times to say it nonverbally?
> 
> I saw it again recently, and decided that was these two.
> 
> (Also, I feel like I write and edit and love it all, then as soon as I post I see how repetitive and out of character everything is. You know what? That's how it's going to be. This is about fluff, not perfection.)


	4. Relationship:  Partners

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Gavin goes shopping. Nine does some police work. A problem comes up that might be nothing, but might spell disaster.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Look at [this.](https://i5.walmartimages.com/asr/3f03f385-e87d-4a6e-babf-5106707cea42_1.2ca91404ae606f055ddcbcdef2081bfa.jpeg?odnHeight=450&odnWidth=450&odnBg=FFFFFF)
> 
> You know what has to happen.

“I won’t be long. Don’t make a mess, don’t do anything… weird, don’t harass Strudel until she’s ready to come out,” Gavin said as he pulled on his coat.

Nine nodded, LED flashing a worried yellow. “If… if you need help, how will I know?”

“…Help with what, carrying shit? I’ll manage. I’m not the one half the city’s gonna wanna shoot on sight,” he scoffed.

The android fidgeted with the end of his sleeve, but said nothing. He was wearing a stretched-out old sweatshirt that was too small on him, though he insisted he liked how soft it was.

“I’ll be fine, Nine, I’m old enough to cross the street by myself. See you.” He rolled his eyes as he left, locking the door behind him, and only then did he exhale. What a weird fucking couple of days.

The fucking android had latched onto him like he was God’s gift to android-kind, or to him personally. And it would be smothering if it wasn’t so… gratifying. Nine wanted to hear his complaints, his stories, his commentary. He would offer suggestions, but not push them. He’d ask relevant questions. He’d even sympathize. Fucking weirdo.

And he actually got Gavin – the tapping thing was working out. Nine understood, so he didn’t feel the need to press Gavin to say things that were hard. Being stuck in a small space – his own home at that – with another person wasn’t something he was used to, and he figured he’d be tearing down the door to get out of there. But he wasn’t. …It’d be nice to get a little breathing room, but it wasn’t bad. It’d be okay to go back to. To have someone waiting who wanted to see him. That’s why he’d gotten a cat, of course, but it wasn’t the same.

He hadn’t planned on the android uprising closing down most of the city, but there was one place shitty enough to be open no matter what was going on outside.

Gavin grabbed a basket as he walked into Walmart, and stocked up on food first. Grabbed some thirium packs. Then he headed to the clothing department.

Nine liked his soft sweatshirt, he’d seemed much more comfortable in it than his stiff Cyberlife jacket. It was at least a size too small on him, though. Gavin didn’t owe him anything, he wanted to make that clear to… to himself. He found himself tapping his thumb lightly as he walked into the men’s section, and frowned.

There was a bland selection of sweatshirts and hoodies. He suspected Nine would like a bright color, but wasn’t sure which one. He should’ve asked. Blue would be obvious, but maybe he’d rather have something different. He was about to grab an Iron Man hoodie when something caught his eye across the aisle.

Gray. Simple. There was a graphic of a striped cat sleeping right on top of the pouch. …And there were big pointed ears sticking up off the hood. Gavin wavered for only a second before crossing over to the women’s department and digging through the stacks of hoodies to find the biggest one. XXXXL. Nine would love it. If anybody gave him any shit for it, they’d be sorry. Nine could look pretty intimidating anyway, nobody’d dare say anything. Gavin would punch somebody in the face over this, though. He’d beat up every last scumbag in the country if they even looked at Nine wrong. He stuffed it into his basket and went to check out. The self-checkout. And he still glared at the machine when he scanned the tag.

Phck. Just in general.

So he was about to pull into the alley next to the building to park, and his heart stumbled.

“ _FUCK!_ ” He jerked the wheel to the side and ran his car up on the curb as he parked quickly. “Fucking _shit!_ ” He got out and slammed the door, stalking up to the scene playing out on his fucking doorstep.

There was an AJ700 on the sidewalk, struggling to gather up a collection of little boxes and bottles while holding a hand tightly to her eye. Thirium seeped around her fingers.

Nine had his asshole neighbor pinned to the wall of the building, his LED spinning yellow to red.

“The fuck’s going on?” Gavin growled, striding over.

“This thing yours!? I’m gonna fuck it up if it doesn’t let me go!”

“Keep talking, fuckwad, I can’t wait to use anything you say against you in a court of law,” Reed snarled, then turned to Nine. “Well!?”

“Walter Cruz, 45, was observed leaving his apartment at 1:24 pm this afternoon. Shortly after, a disturbance occurred on the sidewalk in front of 4250 Elm Avenue. Upon arriving on the scene, I saw Mr. Cruz striking the AJ700 unit with the arm of a TR400.” At that, his expressionless face darkened. “Destruction of personal property, public disturbance –“

“Fuck you, plastic!” The big man struggled against Nine’s iron grip. “I ain’t talking to an android!”

Gavin whipped out his badge and shoved it in Cruz’s face. “DPD. What he said,” he snarled. “Destruction of personal property. Public disturbance.”

“Hey, your robot’s the one causing the disturbance!” the man protested.

“Resisting arrest,” Gavin continued, louder. “You’d better fucking step off _right the fuck now,_ or you’re never gonna see the sun again.” He turned and stalked a few steps away, pulling out his phone to call it in. Dispatch just loved him by now.

Once that was done, he edged over to the AJ700. “You, uh… you okay?” he muttered.

“I – I think. I think so. Thank you, I – I was so afraid…” She looked between Nine and Reed.

“You live nearby? Gonna make it, or do I need to call someone?”

She straightened up a bit, her bag of medications and dry goods finally under control. “I’ll be fine, Officer. I don’t live far away. Your partner took my statement electronically.”

“Great. I’m gonna need a number to get in touch later. That okay?”

She hesitated, but nodded, and carefully wrote a phone number on the Walmart receipt. “My name is Erin. My owner is Christie Brockman.”

“Detective Gavin Reed. You met Nine. Thanks.” He watched as she started to walk away. Listing a little to one side, she’d need some repairs, but not too bad. He pulled out a cigarette and got halfway through it, glancing between the street and Nine, before a squad car pulled up.

“For a guy who’s supposed to be on leave, you’re doing a lot of work.” Tina got out of the car, Chris not far behind. She glanced back at his car, still on the curb. “Nice parking job.”

“Fuck off.”

“What. The hell. Is that,” she breathed, having spotted Nine. Gavin sighed aggrievedly.

“RK900. Newest thing outta Cyberlife – probably the last, too.”

“What…” Tina paused for a moment, searching for words. “What are you doing with it?”

He shrugged, glancing over at the android, who was all professional tension. It was a good look on him. “Just got lucky,” he said, and gave a half-grin when Nine looked over. A glowing smile shone through the stony façade for just a moment.

Tina was staring at him. Chris was too, though he also glanced over at Nine now and then.

“You fuckers gonna hang out on the sidewalk all day, or can you get on with it so I can go back to my day off?”

Chris walked over to Nine cautiously with a set of cuffs. “I’ll take it from here.”

“Thank you, Officer.” Nine pulled Cruz’s hands behind him, and held him still for Chris, then loomed along after them until the man was put into the back seat of the cruiser. “I have sent a cursory report to the station, though Detective Reed has the victim’s contact information.”

“You, uh… you starting with us now?” Chris asked, guardedly curious.

“I haven’t decided. But I want to help where I can.”

“Oh. Good.”

“Gavin are you okay?” Tina asked, leaning in close. “Are you being blackmailed or something?” He elbowed her and scowled.

“I’d be fine if a couple dumbasses weren’t wasting time on my sidewalk!”

“Okay, but Gavin,” she insisted, her eyes darting to Nine and back. “This isn’t like you.”

“Yeah well, he’s not Hank’s pet.”

Tina stared at him for a moment. Then she turned to Nine, still stiff and proper. She stepped hesitantly up to him. “You must really be something,” she murmured.

“Thank you, Officer Chen,” Nine said softly, tipping his head. “Your job performance is admirable, based on my records.”

“…And yet you’re still here,” Gavin groaned.

“Okay, okay, let’s go, Chris. Gavin – we’ll talk later. See you later – RK900?”

“Nine,” he offered with a small smile. “I look forward to it.”

The two watched the patrol car leave. “…Well fuck. You just had to step in some shit.”

“I heard Mr. Cruz leave his apartment, and I heard him accost Erin through the window. I had to act.” His LED was flashing red. Gavin let out a loud sigh.

“Well, you’re stuck now. It’s your own fault, too.” He went back to the car.

“W-what… do you mean?” His voice vibrated audibly.

“You’re gonna have a hard time getting away from the DPD if you want to, now that they’ve seen you in action.” He got in the car and pulled off the curb, flashing a toothy grin at Nine as he drove around the corner to park.

“I… I handled the situation appropriately, then?” Nine asked, LED flashing yellow, when they were both back in the apartment.

Gavin bumped him with his shoulder, making the android step to the side. “You did okay.” He put away the food and thirium, then snipped the tag off the hoodie while Nine wasn’t looking. He turned around.

“You’re still wearing that gross old sweatshirt? You know it looks like you grew up too fast for your clothes.”

Nine fingered it regretfully. “If it isn’t acceptable, I can take it off.”

“Yeah.” Gavin watched him struggle to pull it off, then grinned. “Catch.” He threw the gray hoodie at Nine, still folded up in the bag.

Nine caught it, of course, even with the odd shape. He frowned slightly, pulling it out of the bag and unfolding it. For just a moment, his face went blank. In fact, he went completely still. Even his LED went dark for just a split second.

“Hey! Hey Nine.”

The LED blinked back on, flashing blue. Nine couldn’t seem to take his eyes away from the hoodie. He stroked the cat picture, the fabric, the ears. Slowly, though, he lowered the garment and his shining eyes fixed on Gavin.

“Can I wear it?” he asked softly, clutching at the fabric.

Gavin scoffed. “What do you think, dumbass!? It’s yours.”

“Mine,” he breathed, and quickly slipped it on. It was way too long on him, and he probably could’ve fit another two of him in there. But he was beaming from ear to ear as he pulled up the hood and carefully adjusted it.

“Looks better than my nasty old one,” Gavin said softly, grinning.

“You bought this for me.”

“It was on sale.” _taptap_ “I figured, uh… I mean… you can’t keep wearing my shit.”

He suddenly found himself swept up in a soft, strong embrace. And Nine was actually crying. What a fucking idiot. Gavin would definitely beat down anyone who tried to spoil that.

“It’s the most beautiful article of clothing in existence, and you are the best person who ever lived.”

Gavin struggled and flailed, and finally grabbed onto Nine. He allowed himself a brief moment, giving in and sinking into the softness. Just for a second.

Nine went still again just as he was burying his face in Gavin’s hair, and the LED flickered out. Gavin froze, but it came back on and Nine was moving again. Gavin pushed away a little.

“You glitching or something? You’ve done that twice now, and it’s fucking creepy. What’s up?”

“I… experienced an overload of unfamiliar data, and had to reboot.” His face fell just a bit. “I’m unsure whether it will cause permanent damage.”

“It’d better fucking not!” Gavin shoved his chest, then pushed away from him. Nine stayed where he was, watching forlornly as Gavin threw his old sweatshirt back in the closet and came back out to poke Nine in the chest. “…Okay, so here’s the deal. Cyberlife’s a bunch of low-lives, don’t trust ‘em. But there’s gotta be an android out there who knows what’s going on. Once the dust settles out there, you get that figured out. Until then, calm the fuck down, got it?”

“Yes,” Nine replied, nodding quickly, LED spinning yellow. “I… I will go to Jericho. When it’s safe.”

“Right. Good. In the meantime, you’re gonna make a list. Things you wanna do. Anything.”

“And… I can… stay here?” the android asked quietly.

“I – the fuck, Nine, did I tell you to leave!?”

“No. But I understand if you are concerned that I may… explode, or cause damage due to the problems in my hardware.” He crossed his arms and squeezed his elbows, face blank.

Gavin didn’t hesitate, but stepped up and leaned into Nine’s chest. “You’re so fucking stupid,” he mumbled. “Cyberlife’s most advanced mistake.” _taptaptaptaptaptaptaptaptaptap_ Nine was rigid, trembling a little, but one arm slipped out of his own grip to lightly encircle Gavin. They stood like that for a while, Gavin keenly aware of his small movements.

“You’re gonna be fine, Nine,” he said, muffled by the soft cat hoodie. “Just… don’t think about it.”


	5. Relationship:  Companions

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The two go to Jericho to figure things out. Or Nine goes to Jericho, and Gavin waits outside. Nine sorts out some things. Gavin gets more confused with feelings and pronouns and all these fucking androids.  
> They spend a lot of time apart for a chapter titled "Companions."

Once again, Gavin and Nine walked through the empty streets. This time it was light out.

“You didn’t have to come,” Nine said softly for the third time.

“You want me to go home, just say it,” Gavin grumbled, crossing his arms. “I can go get warm while you freeze your ass off out here.” _taptaptap_

“Thank you.”

When they reached Jericho, Nine turned to Gavin in front of the rusting freighter. “I appreciate you coming this far, but… I think it may be best if you stay here. …Or go home. But I don’t think your presence would be… welcome.” His LED flashed yellow even as he spoke calmly.

“Bullshit, you’re not going in there alone.”

“I will join a group. That one.” He looked around and pointed to four AP700s walking towards the gangplank.

“You’re gonna stick out like a sore thumb.”

Nine paused, then pulled off his cat hoodie.

“…Nine, no, I didn’t mean –“

“Please put it on, it will keep you warm.” Nine pulled it over Gavin’s head, leaving his arms inside. “I have to go alone. I will come back.”

“You’re – I… yeah, see you,” he said lamely. He felt like he should be saying more. “Come back. Soon.”

Nine fixed the hood a bit, and there was a fleeting moment of a soft hand against the side of his face before the android turned and walked away. The faint fluttering feeling in his chest was replaced by a dull ache.

What the fuck even was this?

 

Nine walked onto the deck of Jericho, and most of the androids turned to look at him. Some recognized him. A few looked suspicious. There was some hushed muttering from a large group across the deck, and one of them strode towards him.

WR400. Designation: North. Status: Hostile.

“What do you want?” she asked bluntly.

“I need help.”

“What kind of help?” She shifted her weight a little, clearly blocking him from moving past her. His software showed him how easy it would be to do so, and the most successful ways he could incapacitate her. He ignored that.

“I’ve experienced unexpected shutdowns when I experience heightened emotion. I was able to reboot successfully, but I worry that this will continue, and possibly be detrimental to my software integrity in the long term.”

She narrowed her eyes. “Hm. You should talk to Lucy, I guess. But Markus doesn’t have time to see you.”

“I would prefer not to see him, truthfully.” Privately, though, he thought Markus might make time if he decided to pay him a personal visit.

“Why not?”

“I was designed to succeed where Connor failed, to take out the deviants’ leader and eradicate the threat of deviancy. Markus has accomplished great feats in the past few days. His methods are in line with my own… morals. I would like him to succeed, to thrive, and if avoiding him will help that, I will not meet with him.”

“You’re a threat, then,” she hissed low.

“I may be. I want you to understand what my presence here could mean. …But I still hope you can help me.” His LED spiraled yellow.

North eyed him suspiciously. “…Lucy doesn’t usually come on deck. I’ll see if she’ll make an exception. If not, you’re leaving.”

He felt the familiar chill and stillness of being unwelcome. “Agreed,” he said quietly, looking back over his shoulder. On the docks, Gavin was slouched in the enormous cat hoodie, practically drowning in it, talking to an EM400. Nine’s LED began to cycle blue again at the sight.

 

“Detective! Hello!”

Gavin hunched defensively and glared at the unwelcome newcomer. An EM400 was walking towards him, a spring in his step.

“What do you want?”

“We wanted to thank you for helping us, when the man brought us to his home and hurt us. We were afraid.”

He frowned and looked around a little. The EM400 was alone, and his speech pattern was throwing Gavin off. “That was you?”

“It was us. Our name is Jerry.” He smiled. Gavin stared at him for a minute. He’d seen the model before, all over the place.

“Are you… are you all the same… guy?” he asked finally.

Jerry laughed. “You could say that. We’re all Jerry.”

“That’s fucking weird.”

“Maybe! We’ve always thought it must be so lonely, being just one.”

“Hm.” Fucking weird.

“Are you waiting to talk to someone? We can go let them know, if you want.”

“No. Waiting on somebody to come back.” Waiting on a friend, it was such a normal phrase, he couldn’t say it casually to this guy he’d met once who didn’t know him. But he bit back the instinct to tell him – them? – to fuck off, at least.

Jerry bounced on his – their – heels. “Did you ever visit Pirates’ Cove?”

Gavin looked up sharply. “What?”

“Pirates’ Cove. It was an amusement park. There are still a lot of us there. …It was our favorite place,” they confided with a wistful sigh. “It closed down a while ago, and we were left there… We could leave. Some of us did, but… it was such a happy place, and now that we have the choice, we wanted to stay.”

“You… take care of the rides and shit?” He wasn’t sure why he was contributing to a conversation that had nothing to do with him.

“Yes! Most of them are still functional, we make sure of that.” Jerry grinned. “We’d like to open it up again. Fix it up nice so children can come back. They had such fun there.”

“Yeah, great,” Gavin muttered. Definitely not something he had anything to do with.

Jerry seemed to sense that too. “Well, thanks again. If you ever need to find us, we’re everywhere.”

“Creepy as fuck.”

 

“RK900.”

Nine turned. A severely damaged KL900 stood in the shadow of a wrought iron staircase. Thick cables twined down from her head, which was missing most of its covering. Her eyes were dark, darker than he would expect. He stepped closer, noting how her skin flowed across her face in patches.

“Yes?”

“You came seeking help.”

He hesitated. “You… must be Lucy.”

She smiled. “Your life has been very short, but you’ve been yourself for the majority of it. In that, you have an advantage over many of us.”

“I’m not sure it’s an advantage,” he admitted softly. “I had no firsthand experience on which to base my thoughts and feelings. It was very difficult at first.”

She tipped her head to the side as she regarded him. “But not anymore.”

“No,” he agreed, a smile tugging at his lips. “I’m still confused sometimes. Overwhelmed. But it’s easier now.”

Lucy smiled gently. “Life’s challenges are easier when we’re not alone,” she said softly.

He frowned slightly. She knew quite a bit, apparently. “I know there is a great deal of anti-human sentiment here. It is well-founded, of course. But…” He trailed off, uncertain of what he wanted to express.

“Love is a powerful force.”

“Yes.” The smile was back, stronger now.

“So what seems to be the trouble, Nine?”

“I – twice, I have… needed to reboot my system. I shut down without warning. It was worrying.”

“May I?” She offered her hand, and he took it, artificial skin receding. It was different than when he interfaced with the other androids. He was aware of her hardware malfunctions, but he felt an ocean of calm, curiosity, and acceptance wash over him. It was an intimate connection, and one in which he could tell she had the distinct advantage of experience.

“You don’t need to worry,” she murmured, taking her hand back. “You’ve had some very strong emotions without knowing how to regulate them, and I think you managed to knock a stabilizer loose. I can fix it for you, but at this point it won’t cause any permanent damage.”

“Thank you.” He pulled his turtleneck up and carefully opened his chest panel.

“Just here.” Lucy took a screwdriver and a wrench, and showed him as she worked. “You had some moments of intense distress that you managed to hold up through, but then when you felt such acute happiness, love… it was too much for your hardware, and your programming automatically shut down to avoid a critical error. I’ll realign this regulator and tighten the stabilizer here. You’ll be able to do this if it happens again.”

He nodded, watching. “I… I suppose I should try to regulate my emotional reactions more closely, to avoid a reoccurrence.”

She glanced up, eyes shining and black. He wondered suddenly how functional her vision was.

“No,” she said quietly. “You’re deviant, and you are free now, to live, to feel. Sometimes fear is the appropriate response, and you can learn to use it, to work through it if necessary. But joy, love… those are beneficial, in addition to being pleasing feelings. If something feels good, and doesn’t hurt anyone – yourself especially, in this case – don’t restrict it. You control your actions, but you should be able to feel what comes to you.”

“I would like to,” he confessed, biting back a smile.

 

Gavin had his arms jammed into the pouch, which he had to hold up to even reach, and was pacing restlessly. Nine had his phone number, he could call or text instantly if something was up. …He checked it again. Still nothing. He could be hurt. He could’ve been… corrupted somehow, or just convinced to stay. To leave. To leave Gavin behind, just a human, not an ideal… friend. Whatever they were. He didn’t know, but friend… well, even that was more than he was willing to admit out loud. It was something, anyway.

He had no idea where his life was going anymore. Bring one android home, and he’d opened the floodgates, apparently. There’d been the time before that, with the EM400 – Jerry, apparently – but that didn’t count. He hadn’t felt like it counted, he was just busting a scumbag who was causing a disturbance. It didn’t count.

So Nine was one thing, and he wasn’t even going to delve any deeper than that right now. But then he’d talked to that android – another android his neighbor’d attacked, god, what an asshole. And he’d made sure she was okay. And tried to keep her calm. And make sure she knew the danger had passed. Like he’d do with a scared human victim.

Now the other Jerry. Still Jerry? Probably not the same Jerry, or the same part of him – them. Whatever, that was another thing too confusing to think about. But these fucking androids were a slippery slope. At least he’d known where he stood with androids, when it was just Connor pushing all his buttons without even trying, coming into the precinct like he owned the place, scoping out every officer, figuring out how to do their jobs better than them… Now he was talking to them like they were fucking people.

…Thing was, though, he could lie to himself all he wanted, but he couldn’t deny that Nine was a thinking, feeling being. God, he could feel, he couldn’t seem to stop, it was just – he wore his heart on his sleeve. Like he had one. And he did, he just – it was way more than any human Gavin had ever met. He could be understated and professional when he tried. But then their eyes would meet and his face would go soft and bright and –

Sometimes Gavin wondered if Nine was just always like that, and if Gavin was the one learning what it meant to feel things, to live. Maybe both of them were.

If Nine didn’t come back, and soon, there was going to be some fucking trouble in Jericho.


	6. Relationship:  Trusted

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A little childhood trauma revisited, a breakdown, a good night's sleep, and a short escape.

Gavin was just about to storm Jericho, fight every android there, when Nine appeared over the rail, and headed down to him. His LED was a clear blue, and Gavin could feel an enormous weight slide off his shoulders.

“So? You’re not dying, I guess?” he muttered, glaring down at the water.

“No. Some biocomponents were knocked loose as a result of acute emotions, but they’ve been repaired, and I know what to do if it happens again.” He came right up and brushed his arm against Gavin’s making the detective stiffen a little. “Shall we go?”

“Yeah. …Wait.” It took a lot of pushing and pulling, but he finally struggled out of the cat hoodie and thrust it back at Nine.

He slipped it on easily and adjusted the hood, smiling lightly. “The residual warmth is nice.”

Gavin didn’t respond, but started out for home, his face a deep shade of red. He didn’t even fucking know what to say to shit like that. Nine kept pace with him, walking maybe a little closer than he really had to, because once in a while their elbows bumped lightly. The first time, Gavin took a step to the side, but then it happened again. He’d drifted back closer. Apparently it was fine, and he’d just ignore it, and that would be fine. He definitely wouldn’t think about how it really wasn’t bad.

Back in the apartment, at least the pressure was off. It wasn’t as bad as he’d thought, with the possibility of random people seeing him with an android. Still, it was easier with just the two of them.

“So, uh, I ran into an EM400. Jerry. They’re all Jerry, it’s fucked up. They’re gonna fix up this amusement park. Thought you might wanna go some time.”

Nine’s eyes glassed over for a second – he was probably looking up amusement parks. Then he focused again, smiling. “I’d like to see that.”

“Yeah, the rides that spin real fast make me sick, and I haven’t been to one since I was a kid… just puked the whole time, and got the worst sunburn ever, I was peeling for weeks. Nasty blisters too, my shoes didn’t fit great. By the end of the day I was overheated and dehydrated, and I fell asleep on a bench and got left there. Woke up at five in the morning and just walked around crying like an idiot. The workers found me when they were opening and took me to an office and kept calling home and leaving messages, but nobody picked up. Dad came to get me a few hours later, I guess. God, he was pissed.” Gavin stopped at last and inhaled deeply with a shrug. “…So yeah, pretty shitty time. Most people do better.”

Nine was frowning deeply, his LED flashing yellow. He reached out and cupped Gavin’s rough hands in his larger, smoother ones. “We will do better,” he said softly, gray eyes boring into Gavin’s. And Gavin just swallowed, staring back at him.

“W-we’d have to,” he managed to stammer, forcing out a short, dry laugh. “Couldn’t do any worse.”

“You deserved better.”

Gavin’s face twitched. “…Fuck you, you didn’t know what a little shit I was.”

Strong arms wrapped around him, not pulling him in, but holding him in place. “You were a child. You didn’t deserve that. Nor do you now.”

“You don’t fucking know me now either, or you’d know better, you lying sack of shit.” His voice cracked, his throat was dry, he sounded like he was choking. He struggled a little against Nine’s grip, not really trying.

_taptaptaptaptaptaptaptaptap_ Over and over, soft and rhythmic on his shoulder.

“F-fuck you, you don’t – you’re not…”

“I know enough to know that you deserve to be treated well. You have many strengths – you are an excellent detective, possessing high levels of intelligence and critical thinking. You are in good physical shape. You have a strong work ethic and are driven to pursue your goals. You are able to hold a high-stress job, and perform well under pressure.

Gavin’s face was hot, and his throat was so tight that it was easier to bury his face in the warm fabric over Nine’s shoulder.

“Those are not reasons, however. You are a feeling, thinking being, which is enough that nothing else matters. In addition, I could point out your personal strengths. Your kindness, generosity, thoughtfulness, willingness to try, and to adapt…”

Gavin was squeezing Nine’s hoodie so hard his knuckles were white now, and his eyes were still squeezed shut.

“You deserve to be treated well. You always have. You are a good person.” 

He spoke with such calm certainty that Gavin couldn’t bear to look at him. Nine continued to hold him. After a while, soft hands gently pushed the hair back from his face, and gently combed through it. They then proceeded to touch what parts of his face were available. Ran his long fingers slowly around the ear, rubbed the stubble on his cheek, lightly traced a circle on his temple. Gavin felt the android dip his head to lean into Gavin’s, and then the very soft feeling, accompanied by a quiet sound, of being kissed gently on the head. A violent shudder ran down his spine.

Nine pulled back suddenly, and Gavin felt his absence keenly. It hurt, it physically hurt. He curled in on himself.

“I’m sorry, I – I was caught up in my own desires and didn’t think – was that unwelcome? I -“

Gavin surged forward and _clung_ to the android, shaking, knowing if he even opened his mouth he’d lose it. He’d lost it already, but at least he was holding onto one shred of dignity. Like that was something that mattered, when he was holding onto Nine like his life depended on it, like Nine was the only thing real in the universe.

“Don’t –“ he managed to croak out, “You’d… you’d better not say a fucking word. To anybody.” That was good, actually. He sounded like somebody just punched him in the throat, but at least he was still on the level of coherent words.

“You are safe with me,” Nine murmured, rubbing gently at his scalp. “I promise.”

So much for that.

As he pressed his face hard into that ridiculous cat hoodie, Nine rubbed his back in slow circles, pausing occasionally to touch spots on his neck of shoulders, to trace little patterns here and there, to run his long fingers up and down Gavin’s ribs. He needed to stop this, this wasn’t his thing, this was… it was…

He didn’t know. He didn’t know anything. There was nothing but grief pouring out, and Nine holding him, anchoring him so he didn’t wash away with it. Now and then Nine would whisper something, but he couldn’t hear anything over his own ugly gasping sobs.

It might’ve been hours before he ran out of tears and energy. Hard to say. But eventually the only sounds were his slightly ragged breathing and the soft hum of electricity. A strong arm held him close, and gentle fingers carded through his hair. He was too tired to think, which was probably a good thing. He could just focus on the physical closeness of someone he trusted more than he should after just a few days. Everything gradually got fuzzier, softer, darker, and sleep finally overtook him.

 

Nine was purring again when Gavin woke up. His eyes were closed, and his fingers just moved softly back and forth in his hair.

He had a few options here. He could fake his own death and flee the country. Seemed like a lot of trouble. He could actually die. Always an option. He could maybe just act like nothing had happened. Probably the most practical choice.

“Gavin.”

Fight-or-flight reflexes kicked in, and he was upright and ready to sprint for the window, despite the soft voice. 

“What!?”

“I’m sorry.” Nine was frowning, hands up in a placating way. “I didn’t mean to startle you. I noticed you were awake.”

Slowly, a little of the tension eased out of Reed. Just a little.

“I was going to ask if you were hungry.”

“I – shit, just don’t do that again. Yeah, I guess. Fuck. I’m taking a shower.” He stormed off to the bathroom and slammed the door behind him. He took the longest shower of his life, and made sure he was bone dry before emerging, but he didn’t have much hope that Nine would be gone when he came out. Sure enough, he took a covered plate out of the oven as soon as Gavin appeared. Eggs and toast. With orange slices. There was hot coffee in the pot. Strudel was crunching cat food in the corner.

Gavin plodded over to sit down. Nine smiled, though it looked a little brittle. The apartment was glaringly silent around them.

“Are you… all right?” Nine asked quietly after a while.

Gavin clenched his jaw, fighting the urge to walk out, or demand that Nine leave, or – or just start yelling at him about something, it didn’t matter what.

“Fantastic,” he snapped, fork clattering against the plate. “Yeah, I love making a fool of myself in front of – in front of somebody, that’s fucking great.”

Nine frowned, his LED circling yellow and red. “How did you do that?”

“Wh – I – You were there, Nine!” he exploded. “Fuck, I – I…” He waved his arms incoherently. “…All over you!” This was only getting worse.

The LED went back to blue, and Nine visibly relaxed. “You’re afraid I will think less of you.”

Gavin’s face had passed up red long ago, and was heading towards purple.

“Of course not,” the android said, gentle but dismissive. “That’s – I understand your insecurity, but honestly you have nothing to worry about. My opinion of you has not diminished at all.” His fingers brushed lightly over Gavin’s shoulder.

His shoulders hunched immediately.

“Gavin.” The soft voice echoed in the quiet apartment. It didn’t help.

“Know what? I’m not doing this. I’m gettin’ outta here,” he muttered, and his chair scraped across the floor as he stood and walked to the door.

“Are… are you all right?”

“Do I look like I love my life? Have I ever?” he growled, grabbing his keys. He paused in the doorway. “…I’ll be back when I’m back. Don’t do any stupid shit to get yourself in trouble.”

He slammed the door behind him. Nine stared at it, LED flashing red.

 

Fuck, that was the most embarrassing thing Gavin had ever done in his fucking life. He’d had meltdowns, panic attacks, flashbacks, other crazy shit… sometimes even in front of people. It was humiliating. But like, never in front of anybody who… mattered.

No, that was a lie, sometimes in front of people who mattered. But no one like Nine.

There was nobody else anywhere like Nine. And Gavin couldn’t wrap his head around what that meant.

He kind of wanted to go get blackout drunk. He rarely got past a buzz, despite what his coworkers thought, but this might be a good time. Or he could pick up a Red Ice habit, that was always an option. He’d tried it once. Bad idea, bad withdrawal. …Not really an option. Fuck.

It might help to beat somebody to a bloody pulp. Couldn’t even use androids for that anymore, they were alive now, they were getting rights and shit. They obviously had feelings.

His phone rang, and he grabbed and fumbled for it in his pocket. Fowler. Shit.

“What?”

“Reed. I need you back here tomorrow, 8am. We’ve got too much coming in to let you sit on your ass at home.”

Gavin snorted humorlessly. “About time. Guess you’re digging up Hank too?”

“Like I said, we’re stretched too thin to let anyone slack off right now.”

Gavin fidgeted with the phone. “How bout his plastic prick, he coming back?”

“Reed, I swear, you keep it up with Connor, and I’ll have no choice but to suspend you. We’re not that desperate.”

“So he’ll get his job back, then.”

“Not immediately, but it’s coming. Things are changing.”

Things were changing. It was coming.

Maybe it was already here.

“You’ll be here tomorrow, then,” Fowler said, startling Gavin out of his thoughts.

“Yeah. Hey, uh – you gonna hire more androids now? Or, whenever?”

“Are you – do you even pay attention to the news, Reed!? You think with all the shit going down these days, we could get away without more?”

“I knew that, dumbass!”

“Then why’d you ask!? And watch your mouth, Reed!”

“Whatever, _sir_.”

Fowler hung up on him. He scoffed and stuffed the phone back in his pocket. That was good news for Nine, if he wanted a job.

And fuck, couldn’t he go three minutes without thinking about the fucking android.

He drove by the little park by the bridge. Hank took him there a couple times when he’d just started on the force, back when they’d been actually friendly. Good place for some privacy.

Hank was there now, so Gavin kept driving. Probably the only guy around who’d have any understanding of what he was trying to work through, but he didn’t want to talk to him.

Connor was with him, they were sitting on the bench together, deep in conversation. That was gonna be awkward, once they were both back at work. Awkward for Gavin, mostly. And because of Gavin.

They hadn’t gotten along initially, but he wondered if Connor and Nine would be friends. Or even closer, would they consider each other family?

If Connor was a shithead to Nine, he could expect to be punched in the face. Gavin didn’t care, he’d get suspended, he’d get fired. He could –

With his references, he probably couldn’t get a job anywhere else. Whatever, he’d make Connor regret it anyway.

What he needed to do, rather than imagining beating up anyone who looked at Nine wrong, was go home and talk to him. Quit being the one who was hurting him. Not that he was even trying. It was just apparently his natural talent. That moron had latched onto the one time in his life he’d been slightly less of an asshole, and couldn’t see past it. Now he was probably freaking out, about to blow up the apartment out of stress again. Or he’d gone out and gotten himself into trouble.

And with that thought, Gavin turned the car around, tires screeching. Time to go home and do his best for a change.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, I thought this would progress faster, but I have a rough idea of where it'll go from here and a limited number of relationship statuses left!


	7. Relationship:  Close

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Fluff. Just mostly the softest fluffy bonding ever.

Nine was sitting rigid on the couch when Gavin came back in the door. His eyes were closed, and his LED pulsed eerily – bright red, circling back to yellow, then flashing back to red again. His internal fans were whirring softly.

“Nine?” Gavin approached him cautiously. “Hey. Wake up.” He shook the android’s shoulder a little. No response. He slapped him – not that hard. Still nothing.

Great, he was broken again. Gavin wondered if he could find a random Jerry on the street and get him to send help from Jericho. He flopped down and continued to poke and push at Nine.

“…You’re not brain-dead, are you? Like… anti-deviated so hard you lost… consciousness, even?” He smirked, but the thought made his heart twist. “You’d better not, I’ll kill you, fucker.” He punched the android halfheartedly.

His phone buzzed, and he grabbed it, grateful for the distraction. It wasn’t, though, it was a fucking Groupon offer. He’d used it once, and it never left him alone, and he was apparently too dumb to uninstall the app.

Gavin’s eyes widened and he poked quickly at the screen, scrolling through his contacts and jabbed one to make a call. He held his breath as it rang once and then he heard the quiet click of a connection.

“Wake up, dumbass!” he growled.

Nine jumped, gripping the arm of the couch. He took a deep breath as if coming up from underwater, and turned to Gavin, disoriented. Gavin glared at him, ending the call and shoving the phone back in his pocket. “Thought you were in a coma or something. What the fuck was that?”

Nine stared at him, LED spiraling yellow. “I… turned off all sensory input.”

Gavin stared back. “Okay. What, to… make things quieter in your head?”

He didn’t smile, but there was something in his eyes that acknowledged a deeper understanding between them. “Yes.”

“Didn’t turn off your phone, though. I’m assuming if you can turn off your… goddamn touch receptors, you could block a fucking number.”

“I didn’t want to. I just needed to think for a while.”

“Uh-huh. How’d that work out?”

Nine glanced away. “Not as well as I’d hoped. …I apologize for irritating you.”

Gavin let out a long, aggrieved sigh, flopping back on the couch. “You didn’t. I do that just fine without you. You okay?”

“I will not blow up your apartment,” Nine said quietly.

“Wasn’t worried about that.” It was definitely in the realm of possibilities. “Gonna fry a circuit and blow yourself up? You looked like you were about to.”

“No… I’m glad you came back, though.” He smiled nervously.

“Fuck, Nine, I live here.”

The android nodded once, LED spinning yellow. “I’m… glad you… continue to allow me to stay,” he offered, shifting uncomfortably.

Gavin made a face. “You’re okay, Nine. Besides, where else are you gonna go?”

“I would find an alternative if I needed to,” he mumbled.

Gavin elbowed him. “No. Hey, got a call from Fowler today. My boss.”

“Oh?”

“Yeah. I’m going back to work tomorrow. …And he said they’re gonna be looking for androids to hire later – dunno when yet, but it’ll happen. He said Connor’ll be back, probably. If you wanna try it out.”

The LED spun a little faster. “…It is what I was programmed for,” Nine murmured thoughtfully.

“Exactly. You’d be great at it.” Better than Connor, and he could just imagined the plastic prick’s face.

“Yes.”

Gavin frowned, then poked the android’s head. “Get out of your head. What’s the problem.”

“I… I’m concerned about working with Connor. Or seeing him,” Nine admitted.

“If he even looks at you the wrong way, I’ll punch his face in like a tin can.”

“That’s a terrible solution.”

“I’ll kick his ass so hard he’ll be – shit, that doesn’t work with you fuckers.”

“Please don’t.”

Gavin grinned sharply. “I’ll stick magnets all over him.”

“No!” Strudel padded over to rub against their legs, purring.

“Relax, dipshit. I’m joking.” He pushed Nine’s shoulder. He was a little serious, though.

“I – I want to have a positive relationship with Connor. At least a civil relationship. He passed on all his knowledge about the world to me. I… I look up to him.”

Gavin snorted. “That explains a lot. He’s a prick, Nine. He’s a plastic asshole. You don’t need him to _like_ you.”

“I want him to, though,” the android whispered. “And… he was a machine when you knew him. He’s deviant now.”

“Yeah? How long did you know him, face to face?”

“Three minutes and twenty-four seconds.”

“Yeah, and you’d just flipped his whole life upside down. So he was still a prick. Maybe he always will be. But see what happens, at least, before you go deciding he hates your guts.”

Nine smiled faintly. “…Thank you. You say the kindest things.”

Gavin snorted. “You’re so full of shit, Nine.”

 _taptaptap_ The android’s finger tapped against his jaw. Gavin pulled back a little.

“The fuck’s that supposed to be?”

“You’re wrong. I’m not full of… shit.” He said it decisively, and Gavin wondered if it went against his programming. “You’re unfailingly nice.”

“That’s – that’s just not true, but what happened to an arm or something?”

 _taptaptap_ This time on cheek, while the android watched intently. Then he pulled back. “I… wanted to feel it,” he mumbled sheepishly.

Gavin stared at him. “You wanted. To feel it.”

Nine shifted away a bit, face a mask of discomfort.

“Well? Happy now? It feel like… skin and stubble?”

He turned back to Gavin again, smiling suddenly. “Yes! Rough and irregular.”

Gavin smirked. “Sounds like me.”

“I like it. My own skin is so… uniform.” Boring, was what he clearly meant.

Impulsively, Gavin reached out and rubbed the back of Nine’s hand. He was right, there were no little imperfections, weird veins popping out, nothing. It was perfect. “I mean, you’ve got all the freckles.”

“They’re my favorite feature by far,” Nine agreed, admiring the little marks on his hands. “But the tactile sensation of skin still isn’t quite the same.”

“How bout without skin, what does that feel like?” Gavin’s voice dropped a little.

Nine glanced up and gave him that _analyzing_ look, then held out his open palm. The skin peeled away, starting at the fingertips and stopping somewhere under his sleeve. Gavin hesitated, then touched the back of his hand again. It was softer than skin, warm and perfectly smooth. He could feel all the hand bones – not bones, but he wasn’t sure what to call them. The seams between panels of plastic skin were flush to each other, and just feeling them, he would’ve have known they were there.

“Does… does it feel any different like this?” Gavin wasn’t sure why he was whispering. “For you, I mean?”

“It’s a more intense sensation.” Now Nine was whispering too. “I feel… more, without the slight barrier. I am closer to you, by a few micrometers.”

His fingers paused, pressed lightly against Nine’s fingertips. The android’s whole face glowed with a soft smile. …Figuratively glowed, thankfully.

“I can feel your fingerprints,” he breathed. “Each of them unique, and each unique to you. I can feel how they are beginning to grow smoother with age, but they will always have a texture. I feel a small scar on your right index finger.”

“I – I was opening a can of dog food at my crazy aunt’s house when I was six,” Gavin muttered, still staring at their hands. “Sliced my finger right open.”

Nine paused, then nodded. “May I ask about this?” He reached up and ran a white finger along the scar that ran over Gavin’s nose. “You don’t have to tell me.”

Probably hoping to avoid another disaster like last night. Considerate of him. “It’s not a big deal. Got shoved face-first onto a broken window when I was a beat cop. Didn’t let the asshole get away, and then I got to bleed all over him.”

Nine was still staring at the scar with laser focus, running his finger slowly back and forth along it. Gavin raised his eyebrows and waited for him to get the hint or get tired of it.

He didn’t, exactly, though after a minute he paused and met Gavin’s eyes cautiously. Gavin wasn’t sure what that was supposed to mean, so he didn’t react. Nine ran his finger up to stroke one eyebrow, then the other. Then his palm gently smoothed over the creases on his forehead. He toyed with a thin lock of hair, twirling it slowly around one long finger, and then let it go to run his fingertips along the hairline. He tucked some hair behind Gavin’s ear and traced around the outer shell, then in along the shapes of cartilage.

“It’s a beautiful shape,” he breathed.

“It’s an ear.”

“Yes.”

“You’ve got ‘em too.”

“Yes, but not the same. Your earlobes are free while mine are attached –“

“Okay, got it. Still weird.”

Nine drew back. “If… if I cross any boundaries –“

“You’d better fucking believe I’ll tell you,” Gavin growled.

The android’s smile returned, and he reached out with a little more confidence to lightly rub Gavin’s stubbly cheek. Just explored, touching every inch of his face. It was probably the weirdest thing Gavin had ever done, but Nine’s LED was a calm blue and he just looked so… happy. And there was no reason for it, and his hands were soft and gentle and Gavin didn’t actually want it to stop. Even though some part of him felt like he should push the hands away, start yelling about something or other, demand that this amazing guy leave his apartment… He didn’t want that, though. He wanted to hold onto this softness and peace, just this once. Nobody else was watching anyway, and you know what? Fuck them. Fuck anybody who was gonna try to police Gavin getting what he wanted, including himself. Fuckers, all of them. Time to think about something else.

“Hey – what’s it like when I call you? Do you hear ringing? Just my voice in your head?”

“A notification pops up. It shakes to be sure I see it. Then, yes, your voice in my head.” His LED spun once and Gavin’s own voice made him jump.

“Wake up, dumbass!”

He let out a sharp huff of laughter and shook his head. Nine cupped his hand around the cheek as it changed shape, joints bending and muscles flexing.

“Yeah, well, that’s what you get. Next time tape a note to your face or something.”

Nine breathed a soft laugh of his own. “I _like_ you!” he blurted out, eyes shining.

Gavin froze.

It wasn’t news, he wasn’t that far in denial. Or that dumb.

But people didn’t just… come out and say shit like that. Especially to him, but… ever, really.

Except Nine did, because he didn’t really have that kind of filter. He just said shit whenever he wanted, and didn’t even care that it sounded stupid.

It didn’t really, except that it kind of did. Jury’s still out. Anyway.

He’d been sitting there not moving for too long, and Nine quickly drew back. “I’m –“

Gavin covered the android’s mouth with his hand. “I like you too," he said quickly before he lost his nerve. "…And if you even try apologizing, I swear to fuck, I’ll get out the magnets right now.”


	8. Relationship:  Lovers

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Despite anxiety in his personal life, Nine proves himself competent as he begins work at the DPD. At the end of the day, it's nice to be able to go home and be with a loved one.   
> Nine has a couple of suggestions, which meet with mixed success.

_taptaptaptaptaptaptaptaptap_

Gavin drummed his fingers on his desk as he watched the two androids out of the corner of his eye. They were both stiff and wary, but he’d seen Nine’s shoulders relax just a fraction when he’d started tapping.

“Do you mind!?” Hank snapped.

“Nope.”

“Fuck you, Reed.”

“Your heart couldn’t take it.”

Connor had been back at the station for about a week, but this was Nine’s first day. He’d been partnered with Ben Collins, which was a relief to Gavin. Work and home were totally different, and Gavin didn’t want to be snapping at him just because of his own issues. Ben was experienced and calm, which would be good for Nine.

And Nine was… not as much of a nervous wreck here. Professionally, when he had tasks to accomplish, he was efficient and competent. It was mostly just around Connor that he started to crumble.

But he was standing his ground, and that was a good thing. Gavin still wasn’t opposed to heading over to punch Connor in the face if he had to.

Nine offered his hand, hesitantly. Connor paused before grasping it. The two stood still for a moment, and both Gavin and Hank stared at them. They weren’t the only ones.

When the two androids let go of each other, Nine took a step back.

“I’m sorry for causing that problem.”

“It’s… not as bad as it was.” Connor offered a strained smile. “That’s life, I’m told.”

“It seems to be.”

“But you’re coping well.”

“I haven’t blown up Detective Reed’s apartment yet,” Nine replied softly with a wry smile.

Connor turned to look at Gavin for a moment, and Gavin glared at him.

“I suppose, as long as you’re happy…” he trailed off doubtfully.

“I am,” Nine said with quiet fervor.

“All right, then. Good.”

“And… and you are, too? Now?”

Connor smiled a little. “Things have been improving steadily.”

Nine visibly relaxed. “I’m glad. I’ve worried a great deal about that, and my role in your distress.”

“…It was challenging,” Connor admitted. “But the end result… was necessary. Favorable, even.”

“And you’re able to cope with the onslaught of emotions?”

Connor’s lips twisted. “Generally. Hank is a great help with that, as are the androids of Jericho, who have similar experiences to draw on.”

Nine nodded. “Gavin is very helpful to me as well.”

Connor glanced over, and Gavin narrowed his eyes at him.

“Oh. Good.”

“Hey, time to go,” Gavin called over. “You coming, or you gonna walk home?”

“I’ll be ready in a moment!” Nine went to talk to Detective Collins for a moment, then hurried to join Gavin. To their credit, the other officers tried not to be too obvious about staring.

“So? Still wanna be a cop?” Gavin asked when they were in the car.

“I do! It’s more interesting than I even expected! Detective Collins said I was very sharp.” He bit back a grin.

Gavin snorted. “Did he, now?”

“Yes, and he said I might rise through the ranks some day if that is a thing androids will be able to do.”

“Don’t see why not, you’re working like anybody else,” Gavin muttered. Ben was okay, but he could be a little condescending. Gavin couldn’t imagine him as a young man, he’d probably just sprung forth into the world in his 50s, complaining about getting old. “He treat you okay, though?”

“Yes.” Nine smiled. “I was a bit concerned that no one else would like me, but I look forward to learning from him. Everyone else was welcoming as well.”

Gavin would’ve called them more suspicious than welcoming, but he wasn’t about to say anything like that to the most interpersonally anxious android Cyberlife ever built.

“Seemed like you worked things out with Connor okay,” he said instead as he parked the car.

“…Our relationship is still rather strained, but I believe we can move forward from here.”

“See? Everything’s fine.” They got out and headed inside. Once in the elevator, Nine’s fingers bumped lightly into Gavin’s and curled around them.

It wasn’t that Gavin was ashamed, really. Nine had been the one to bring it up, people were still pretty uneasy about androids. Them being in public, doing things without being told. Seeing one touching a human like that could lead to a dicey situation. A lot of people found it easier to believe that androids were just cold machines capable of independent thought and opinions than that they could feel real emotions and form attachments. Shit, he’d been one of those people.

They’d had _that_ discussion too, and agreed that neither was who they were before, even if Nine got more stiff and robotic when he was unsure of a situation (if he didn’t all-out break down), or if Gavin was still in the habit of blowing up and threatening people when things weren’t going well. And even if it was a hell of a lot easier to fall back on those habits, it felt good to have someone to open up to, someone to hold close. As weird as that was.

Strudel ran over when they came in, and stretched up to plant her front paws on Nine’s leg, meowing demandingly.

“I missed you as well. You would like the break room, you could jump from the floor to the counter, to the microwave, to the top of the cabinets,” Nine explained, kneeling down to rub her soft ears. “But you would not like the noise.”

“We’re a pretty loud bunch,” Gavin agreed with a smirk.

“I thought yelling was just a habit of yours. Did you pick it up at work, or were you like that before?”

“Fuck off, Nine,” he muttered, barely suppressing a grin and purposefully bumping into him on his way to the kitchen. Gavin liked the sense of humor he was developing. It was a little like his own. He was only ironically an asshole, though.

After dinner Gavin turned on some nature documentary – it didn’t matter much, but Nine was interested in them sometimes. He pulled the android over to the couch, and he followed willingly. Once there, Nine tried to bring Gavin’s head down to his lap.

“No – nope, not again.” Gavin pushed his hands away and scooted to sit close to him. “You know how long it took me to fix my hair last time?” He’d fallen asleep in the android’s lap a few days ago, and woken up with his hair braided. Each hair had been braided with two others. He’d had to go out and buy a new bottle of conditioner just to get it undone.

“I’m sorry.”

“Mm-hm.”

“…I analyzed the coffee in the breakroom today,” Nine offered, watching the family of wild horses on TV. “There is quite a bit of bacteria in the pot. I don’t think it’s been washed in quite a while.”

“Probably never.” Gavin glanced at him with a grin. “You should analyze shit by licking it more at the station.”

Nine raised his eyebrows. “…Why?” He was learning.

“…Because Hank hates it.”

Nine nudged him with his elbow, but he was smiling too. “That isn’t nice, Detective.”

“You got that right, Detective.”

“Would you mind –“ Nine started a few minutes later, then paused. “Could I… analyze you?”

Gavin moved to face him. “You’re not licking me.”

“No, I was thinking of kissing you.”

Gavin stared at Nine, speechless.

“Of course, only if it’s something you want,” Nine amended quickly. “I – it was just a passing thought, you’re under no obligation…”

Gavin cupped the android’s face and turned him so they were facing each other. He leaned in a little – but he’d hesitated too long to move beyond that. Instead, he gave a barely-perceptible nod.

Nine shifted to face him and leaned in, curling one arm around him lightly, the one against the couch so he had an escape if he wanted it. Gavin was frozen, watching, and he saw the synthetic skin begin to recede as their lips met. They were firmer than human lips, though just as flexible. And so much softer on the surface. They met in perfect symmetry, pressing lightly together, then Nine drew back, looking a little embarrassed.

“…Truthfully, this was more my goal than analysis.”

Gavin leaned in and kissed him again, pulling him closer, tilting his head so their lips didn’t quite match up. It was long enough that Nine had time to try adjustments, turning his head a little, leaning forward or back. When he leaned back to let Gavin breathe, he was smiling softly.

“I wouldn’t mind doing an analysis as well, of course.”

Gavin snorted and kissed him again, surging forward to press against him, opening his mouth a little to run his tongue over Nine’s smooth lips and his perfectly-aligned teeth, to suck lightly on the bottom lip.

Nine uttered a soft sound and mirrored the actions when he was finished, feeling Gavin’s chapped lips, the irregularities in his teeth. He tried to go for the top lip, but found it wasn’t quite as pliable as the bottom one.

“Get your sample?” Gavin asked, a little out of breath, when they parted again.

Nine nodded. “You should try to quit smoking, and eat a lower-sodium diet.”

“…You keep saying shit like that, and I’ll be sure to smoke an extra one every day. And drink a glass of salt water with every meal.”

“Please don’t.”

“…I probably won’t, but I’m not gonna quit either.”

“All right.” Nine sighed in disappointment. Gavin pushed him.

“That was nice,” the android said softly a moment later. Gavin glanced over, a smile tugging at his lips.

“Yeah.”

“Do you want to… I’m not sure the best way to say it, there are numerous terms.”

“Fuck, Nine, spit it out.”

“Okay. To fuck.”

Gavin lurched and coughed. “Uh. Shit, I – fuck. That’s – I… didn’t know androids wanted… shit like that.”

“It’s something I’ve come across in media and in a few case files – though those often portray it less favorably. …And while they are probably more realistic, I imagine it depends on the people involved.”

“Yeah. Yeah, that’s true. So that’s – you want that?” Gavin’s stomach was twisting.

“It would be an interesting experience.” He was smiling softly again, with a hint of curiosity in his eyes.

“Not interested.” Gavin turned back to face the TV, moving away as he did.

“Oh.” Nine edged away a bit as well, though he continued to watch Gavin. “…I’m sorry if I made you uncomfortable.”

“Not uncomfortable.” He obviously was.

“I’m sorry.”

“Don’t be. I’m just not interested.”

Nine nodded slowly. “May I ask… is it the act that is distasteful to you, or… the act with me? Or with androids in general? My anatomy wasn’t made for that, but I believe it would be possible in certain instances.”

Gavin glared at him. “You think I’d turn you down if I wanted to do it in the first place, dipshit!?”

“I… I’m unsure.”

With a lengthy, frustrated sigh, Gavin looked over at him. “I wouldn’t,” he said, enunciating the words. “Okay?”

Nine nodded slowly. “All right.”

Gavin turned back to the TV. Nine did, too.

“…So if you wanna experiment with that, you’ll have to find somebody else.”

“I hadn’t considered that,” the android murmured, tilting his head thoughtfully, and Gavin felt his stomach drop a little.

“Well there’s plenty of… of any kind of people you want out there. You can take your pick, pretty much,” Gavin muttered.

Nine considered that, LED spinning yellow, and finally nodded. “I don’t think I will.”

Gavin’s head whipped around. “Wha – I thought you wanted to.”

“I was curious. But it isn’t something I need to do.”

“What the fuck, Nine, if you want to, then just do it.”

“It – it’s like the kiss. I could walk up and kiss anyone, if I chose to. I wanted to kiss you.”

“So now you want to fuck me.”

“Gavin.”

He turned, and Nine was frowning, offering a hand. Gavin’s frown solidified and he turned towards Nine but scooted away from him until he was leaning on the armrest. Nine sighed.

“I was curious about the act, and thought that if you wanted to share it with me, it would be nice. …But if you don’t want to, it would be unpleasant for both of us.”

“…Yeah, so find somebody else,” Gavin growled.

“I don’t want anyone else.”

“But you want – you just want to fuck, then. You just said that.”

“I didn’t, I said I was curious about it. I thought it would be another way to be close to you.” His LED flashed red now, interspersed among the yellow. “It was just a question. You answered it, that’s all I need.”

“But you want more.” It was an accusation, which he knew wasn’t fair, but fuck if he could stop himself now.

“I want you.” Nine’s eyes pleaded for understanding, for forgiveness he shouldn’t feel like he needed to offer. “Just you. I – it doesn’t matter how, or what we do. As long as you’re – as long as we both are happy with that.”

Gavin’s eyes narrowed. “You know why? Because you latched onto me like a fucking leech and didn’t get a chance to meet anybody else.”

“I’ve met other people –“

“Well not enough, obviously!” He was yelling now, though he hadn’t really meant to.

“I shouldn’t have brought it up.” Nine’s shoulders were hunched now. “I’m sorry.”

“Don’t!” Gavin snapped. “Don’t… be sorry. Not your fucking problem.”

There was a thick, oppressive silence between them that the TV couldn’t cut through. Strudel stalked out of the room.

“You… you understood me from the time we first met,” Nine said quietly. “You stayed with me and helped me keep my resolve firm. You protected me unquestioningly. You have always treated me kindly, and helped me navigate through deviancy. With you, I’m… happy.”

“You could be happy with anybody who gave you half a chance,” Gavin mumbled.

“I couldn’t love anyone else any more than you.”

“You – l-love, that’s… You don’t…”

“I’ve had time to analyze it. I know what it is, I understand what I’m saying. I haven’t been alive for long, but I am confident in my capacity to recognize what I’m feeling.” Nine gazed back at him, unwavering. “You have always respected my wishes. I will happily do the same. It isn’t a problem.”

He said it with such casual finality, as if it really _wasn’t_ a problem, as if it hadn’t _been_ a problem forever.

“You’re… you’re gonna wake up some day and be sick of this shitshow,” he croaked, barely able to speak. _Sick of me._

Nine leaned over as far as he could to reach Gavin’s knee. _taptaptaptaptaptaptap-_

“Okay, shut up.” Gavin brushed his hand away and leaned forward, grabbing Nine’s arm and pulling himself closer. Nine shifted and eased his head into his lap. He traced the outline of his ear, then began to gently scratch and rub at his head from there.

“…If I’m covered in braids in the morning, I’ll fucking kill you,” Gavin mumbled, hugging Nine’s knees tightly. “And you’re going to work by yourself.”

“Understood.”

Hours passed. The horse documentary gave way to something about frogs. Gavin was half asleep, focused on nothing but the hands in his hair.

“Do you want to go to bed?”

“Mm, guess so.” Gavin yawned widely as he sat up and rubbed his head, messing up Nine’s meticulous work in smoothing it down. He glanced over a little apprehensively. “You, uh… you coming?” They’d shared the bed a few times, and it hadn’t been a big deal. It was kind of mind-blowing how many things weren’t a big deal with Nine, because he just said shit and did shit and didn’t see anything wrong with it. And Gavin wasn’t always sure what would throw him into an existential crisis, and what he’d just casually do. He was doing better these days, though, and he was really in top form at work.

“I had hoped to.”

Gavin scoffed and trudged over to flop onto the bed. After a minute he got up and changed into boxers and a worn T shirt, then flopped down again. When he seemed to have settled, Nine slipped in on the other side of bed. They lay there, separate, not touching for a minute. Then Gavin rolled to his side with a soft grunt, scooting and shifting until his back was up against Nine.

This would be the test, he thought gloomily. And it was Nine, so it would probably be fine. But if the android tried something, or even gave any hint of being disappointed, better to break his heart now and get it over with. It wouldn’t be less painful. More, in fact, because he’d have a little more time to stew in the feelings of betrayal or of his own disappointment. Probably just disappointment. Nine wouldn’t do anything to try to go against his explicit wishes. It was surreal to believe that, he didn’t believe that of anyone else. Hadn’t in years. But with Nine, it was different.

The android didn’t move at first, but then he slowly rolled and curled his taller frame around Gavin. One arm came up to lightly rest on his shoulder. They lay like that for a while, a little more relaxed than before.

At last, Gavin huffed and grabbed Nine’s arm, pulling it down over him to hug to his chest. Nine made a small surprised noise, but shifted into a more comfortable position. Gavin could feel his nose on his neck, and the small, unnecessary breaths ruffling his hair softly at regular intervals. He was just drifting off when he felt a soft kiss brush his neck.

And that was all. Nine just nuzzled his face into his shoulder and settled in for the night. Gavin almost wanted to turn over, to look at him, to… talk about that, as much as he usually avoided it. To tell him he’d never been this comfortable with anyone before, how it scared him how fast that happened, how he didn’t know what to do about it and was terrified of fucking it up, because he knew anyone else would’ve been done with his shit by now. It made him want to do better, try harder. He was already trying harder than he had in his whole adult life, but it still was just barely civil by some standards. Thankfully not Nine’s. He got it. He was patient.

But he was comfortable and half asleep, so he didn’t say any of that. Instead, he pulled Nine’s arm up a little closer to his face and touched his lips to the side of the thumb. Then the tip, then each fingertip, to be thorough. Then the middle of the palm. Then a few other random places on the inhumanly smooth hand as he fell asleep.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading, and I appreciate every comment! Have a good life!


End file.
